Climate adaptation at Lindevangsparken

The project “Byens Vand” (’The City’s Water) shows that climate adaptation can bring a traditional park up-to-date by using the flow of torrential rain to open the park and thus connect city, school, and park with plenty of opportunities for activities such as relaxing, playing, and learning.

Lindevangsparken is a green oasis in the densely populated Lindevang quarter in the municipality of Frederiksberg within the heart of Copenhagen. The park was a classic, green urban park, but was enclosed, with a low degree of visibility from being surrounded by hedges, which meant that it was poorly connected with its surroundings, such as the nearby school and apartment buildings.

Furthermore, Lindevangsparken is located between two troughs which, based on cloudburst modelling by the utility company Frederiksberg Forsyning, has proven that it is particularly vulnerable. In recent years, two extreme cloudburst events, including 2 July 2011, meant that large quantities of rainwater were stored on the terrain around the park because the sewage system could not keep up.

Technical solution and recreational value

The technical solution for handling the precipitation consists of directing the water into the park. By transforming the park’s lawn area into an oval tilted bowl and creating a ditch alongside the park, it is possible to withhold the water and relieve the sewage system. Simultaneously, the water is used to irrigate and create a more untamed, wild urban nature, which allows the planting of fruit trees, reeds, and bushes. In addition, the water flow can be measured and used as a part of science classes in the nearby school.

Adjacent to the park, the parking area called “the loop” has been converted into a combined storm water and activity area for children and adolescents. The loop is formed as a Fibonacci spiral, which invites the school to use the area as an open math lab or as a bench for relaxation and hanging out. The loop will absorb rainwater from the roads alongside the park, and thus receive the water that is not directed into the park.

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